Roque de Taborno: The Ultimate Tenerife Hiking Guide

When it comes to the best hikes in Tenerife, Sendero Roque de Taborno is up there with the best of them. Also known as the Roque de Taborno Circuit Trail and Roque de Taborno Trail, this circular route explores an amazing mountainous landform. As you may have gathered, the incredible landform is called Roque de Taborno, which is an incredibly shaped rocky monolith standing tall in the Anaga Mountains in Tenerife. In this guide, we’re going to tell you everything you need to know about Roque de Taborno, including the epic hike around it.

Roque de Taborno: Overview

Roque de Taborno is one of the most outstanding natural attractions in Tenerife. Located in Anaga Rural Park (AKA Anaga Country Park), near the small town of Taborno, the awe-inspiring rock formation stands prominently. Indeed, from many locations in the Anaga Mountains, you’ll notice the striking and unique shape of Roque de Taborno dominating the landscape.

When it comes to Anaga mountain trails in Tenerife, Sendero Roque de Taborno should be high on your to-do list. Without further ado, let’s talk about the immense Roque de Taborno Circuit Trail​​​​​​​. Let’s start by looking at some trail specs and a map of the walk.

Read our guides about the Chinamada Trail and Benijo to El Draguillo Hike

Sendero Roque de Taborno: Stats and Map

• Type: Circuit
• Distance: 4km
• Time: 1.5–2.5 hours
• Accumulated elevation gain: 270m
• Difficulty: Moderate
• Trailhead: Taborno
• Map: Wikiloc

Roque de Taborno Circuit Walk: Trail Description

Sendero Roque de Taborno is a relatively short walk in the Anaga Mountains. But, the trail is steep, not well sign-posted and has many route variations. By using the GPS-guided map that we’ve linked to above and by reading our brief trail description, you’ll get more of an idea of what to expect during the Roque de Taborno Circuit Trail​​​​​​​.

The hike begins in the quaint town of Taborno in the north of Tenerife. Right from the get-go, near the church, called Iglesia de Taborno, you’ll enjoy magnificent views of the Anaga Mountains. From the town, you’ll follow a descending path, to the right of the church. Early on, you’ll hike along Monte de la Hoya, which leads to Mirador Fuente del Lomo. The views from this Mirador are superb. You’ll enjoy the breathtaking coastline as well as the epic mountainous landscape. But, admittedly, the views keep on getting better!

As you descend a trail from Monte de la Hoya, you’ll soon arrive at a small holding surrounded by a fence housing many mountain goats. We actually turned right at this point and found an awesome viewpoint located here. But, in reality, we had actually gone off the official route. Once we retraced our steps, we turned left at the small holding and found our way back on the circuit trail, heading towards Roque de Taborno.

Roque de Taborno

As you approach the giant protruding monolith, you’ll enjoy exceptional 360 views of the Anaga Mountains. In every direction, you’ll be left awe-struck by either the stunning coastline or rugged green mountain tops. There are various viewpoints to explore, some named (such as Mirador sobre Barranco La Fajana), but most of them are unnamed.

Once you arrive at the southern flank of Roque de Taborno, you’ll then circle the giant rocky formation. Personally, we ventured in a clockwise direction around the magnificent landform. As you walk around the monolith, you’ll notice many different trails and many off-shoot side trails.

Some of these trails explore remnants and relics of previous generations who lived in cave houses at the base of the monolith. You’ll find some trails visit surrounding mounds and ridges. Simply, explore whichever trails you like! Personally, we explored one or two of the surrounding ridges, which jutted out towards the coast and provided stellar views looking back at Roque de Taborno.

Otherwise, we mostly stayed on the main Roque de Taborno Circuit Trail​​​​​​​, which passed a couple of epic caves. Indeed, there’s much to explore and scope out on Sendero Roque de Taborno in Tenerife. After checking out the rocky monolith and the surrounding peaks, it’s time to loop around it and retrace your steps back to Taborno. There is an alternate trail option, which will lead you back to town. But, to keep things simple, we just retraced the same trail back to town.

Sendero Roque de Taborno Recap

Without a doubt, Sendero Roque de Taborno is a must-do hike during your trip to Tenerife. When it comes to Anaga hikes, the Roque de Taborno Circuit Trail​​​​​​​ is a great option. Given it’s a relatively short walk, it’s perfect as a half-day hike if you wanted to do another trail in the Anaga Mountains on the same day. Certainly, we were smiling from ear to ear on this hike!

Roque de Taborno: Is it One of the Best Tenerife Hikes?

When it comes to the best hiking trails in Tenerife, Roque de Taborno has got to be up there. If you’re looking for one of the best short Anaga walks in Tenerife, then this could be the best option. Is it the best hike in Tenerife though? Well, personally, Beck and I thought the Chinamada trail from Punta del Hidalgo to Chinamada was even better! But, don’t get us wrong, Sendero Roque de Taborno is a brilliant trail that you need to do!

How to Get There

In terms of reaching Taborno in Tenerife, your best options are getting there by car or bus.

Driving There

The easiest and quickest way to get to Taborno in Tenerife is to drive there yourself. If you’re visiting from abroad, you’ll need to hire a car.

In terms of parking, you should find free street-side parking in Taborno. But, parking spaces are limited. So, try and arrive early.

To find out more about renting a car with Discover Cars, read our Discover Cars review and Discover Cars Insurance review.

Public Transport: Bus

For those who don’t have a set of wheels, Taborno is accessible by bus. We recommend using Google Maps or the official Titsa website to plan your journey to Taborno in Tenerife.

Where to Stay For Sendero Roque de Taborno

We recommend staying in San Cristobal de La Laguna (known simply as La Laguna). It’s a great base for exploring the Anaga Mountains. Given it’s the second most populated city on the island, you should find plenty of accommodation options. Below, we’ve handpicked the best budget, mid-range and luxury options in La Laguna.

Other than staying in San Cristobal de La Laguna, Santa Cruz de Tenerife is another popular base for exploring the Anaga Mountains. Being the capital city of Tenerife, you’ll have plenty of accommodation options. Although, in terms of convenience for exploring Roque de Taborno, Santa Cruz de Tenerife is located further away from Taborno than La Laguna.

Gear Essentials

These are our gear essentials for hiking the Roque de Taborno Circuit Trail​​​​​​​.

To find out more about all of the gear that we use and recommend, read our guides about our favourite hiking gear, travel gear and camera gear. Otherwise, read our comprehensive travel packing checklist.

Bonus Tips

• Other than hiking Anaga Rural Park, consider these other great Tenerife hiking trails: the Camino del Risco – Teno Alto – Punta de Teno hike is another excellent trail. For easy hikes in Tenerife, consider going to El Teide National Park to do Roques de Garcia, Montana Rajada, Mirador de Samara or the Chinyero Volcano Loop. For a coastal walk option, consider hiking Playa de Las Americas.
• Anaga Mountains weather: even in winter, you can expect hot and dry weather in Tenerife. But, given the height above sea level in the Anaga Mountains, the weather can often be cooler. Additionally, mountain weather is often unpredictable, so be prepared for sudden changes in the weather.
• Other things to do in Tenerife: of course, Tenerife is known for its amazing coastline. Other than coastal walking, exploring the coast by boat is another popular thing to do. Whale and dolphin-watching tours are great ways to experience the Tenerife coast. GetYourGuide’s Tenerife: Dolphin and Whale Eco-Cruise with Snack & Drinks is an excellent eco-friendly catamaran tour. It’s actually one of the most popular tours in Tenerife. This great value-for-money tour includes seeing (if you’re lucky) beautiful whales and dolphins whilst offering opportunities to swim and snorkel.

Do you want to discover other fantastic Tenerife walking trails? Read our huge Tenerife Hiking Guide. Otherwise, you can read our Anaga Rural Park Hiking Guide.